2014 United States Grand Prix preview

I posted some vital statistics earlier about the Grand Prix and the track is very new so there is not that much to talk about. We have seen only two Grand Prix's here so far in 2012 and 2013.

This year I am almost 100 percent positive that the Mercedes drivers will be in the front and at least one of the Red Bulls will be behind them.

Statistically Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have had the best luck in Austin but if we talk about the United States then it's Lewis Hamilton.

Like I have said earlier I believe that Vettel will have better results than Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the season. It seems that he has found his spark again and is happy with the car. The only thing that might give him troubles is that he is leaving Red Bull after this season and the mechanics know that. They might work a bit harder on Ricciardo's car. Just a theory... Of course I hope that this is not the case because I want to see a fair fight between the two Red Bulls.

I have also said in the beginning of the season that Nico Rosberg will be champion this year. It looked like it first but now it seems that Hamilton is very comfortable with the car and haven't had any problems for a while. Rosberg on the other hand has had a lot of technical problems.

Anything can still happen though. The last race in Abu Dhabi gives the winner 50 points! If Rosberg wins the last race and Hamilton retires then it doesn't really matter how big the difference is because 50 points is a lot!

In 1982 Keke Rosberg won the championship having less than 50 points so you understand the madness. I really hope they will forget about the double points and never talk about it again. The stupidest rule ever in the history of Formula One.

Now let's see my predictions:

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Surprise: Keep an eye on Nico Hulkenberg. He has been pretty good in Austin with Sauber and Force India.

Post your own predictions to our F1-4-LIFE PREDICTORS LEAGUE!

The rules:

POINTS:  1st - 3  2nd - 5  3rd - 10 

HOW IT WORKS: the aim of the game is simply predict who comes where in the race (top3). A total of 18 points can be won on a race day. If you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points same if you get 1 correct. eg. 2nd you get 5 points. If a driver wins the race and you said he would come 2nd or 3rd no points would be awarded. Same if he came in another position, and you predicted that wrong. A table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will change once the cars become more competitive. Everyone will say a merc 1,2 so it won't be close or fun. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PREDICTIONS: send an email to f14lifeblog@gmail.com or message the Facebook page to submit your predictions. You have until lights out to make them. If you submit them when the race has started they won't count. So be quick! like the Mercedes. 

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side AE, JT, MW & MH. If you don't want to be an admin you are welcome to participate anyway. We may also come up with some other prize if it helps. 

That's it for today and if you want to send me feedback then email me: f14lifeblog@gmail.com

Formula1.com: Marussia and Caterham set to miss Austin round

Formula1.com has now also stated that the two bottom teams will probably not compete this weekend.
They wrote this earlier on the official Formula One website:

Marussia and Caterham look unlikely to compete in this weekend’s 2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, as both teams seek solutions to their ongoing financial issues, the former having gone into administration on Monday.

Administrators for Marussia, FRP Advisory LLP, say the team will continue to operate while they assess the longer-term viability of the company, and that Marussia’s participation in the season’s remaining rounds will depend on the outcome of that process.

Both Marussia and Caterham joined the Formula One grid in 2010, originally as Virgin and Lotus Racing respectively. Both have enjoyed only limited success, with Marussia securing their first world championship points in this year’s Monaco Grand Prix and Caterham yet to score in 93 race outings.

Vital Statistics - the United States Grand Prix

Did you know that 10 different circuits in the United States have staged an F1 world championship round - but only six of those have hosted a US Grand Prix? Or that seven drivers in the current field have led at least one lap on American soil, but only two - Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel - have actually won? Ahead of this weekend's 2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, we present the key facts, stats and trivia...

Circuit: Circuit of The Americas

Circuit length: 5.513 km

Number of corners: 20 (9 right, 11 left)

DRS zones: 2

Race laps: 56

Race distance: 308.405 km

2014 tyre compounds: soft, medium

Circuit lap record: 1m 39.347s - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 2012

First world championship US Grand Prix: 1959, Sebring (won by Bruce McLaren, Cooper-Climax)

Number of US Grands Prix: 35 (Watkins Glen - 20; Indianapolis - 8; Phoenix - 3; Austin - 2; 
Sebring, Riverside - 1)

Additional Formula One Grands Prix in the US:* 18 (Long Beach - 8; Detroit - 7; Las Vegas - 2; Dallas - 1)
*Not including the Indianapolis 500, which was officially a world championship round between 1950 and 1960.

Safety car record in Austin: 1 in 2 races

Longest US Grand Prix: 1960 Riverside (2h 28m 52.2s)

Shortest US Grand Prix: 2005 Indianapolis (1h 29m 43.181s)

Last year's pole position in Austin: 1m 36.338s, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull

Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus), 3 - Mark Webber (Red Bull)

Most US Grand Prix appearances (current field): 10 - Jenson Button; 8 - Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen; 6 - Felipe Massa; 4 - Nico Rosberg; 3 - Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel

Most US Grand Prix wins (driver): 5 - Michael Schumacher; 3 - Jim Clark, Graham Hill; 2 - Jackie Stewart, Carlos Reutemann, James Hunt, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Bruce McLaren, Stirling Moss, Innes Ireland, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Francois Cevert, Ronnie Peterson, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Alan Jones, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel

Most US Grand Prix wins (constructor): 9 - Ferrari; 8 - Lotus, McLaren; 3 - BRM; 2 - Tyrrell; 1 - Cooper, Matra, Brabham, Williams, Red Bull

Most US Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 11 - Ford; 9 - Ferrari; 4 - Climax, BRM; 3 - Honda, Mercedes; 1 - Renault

Most US Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 4 - Michael Schumacher; 3 - Graham Hill; 2 - Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Ayrton Senna, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Jochen Rindt, Jacky Ickx, Ronnie Peterson, Carlos Reutemann, Niki Lauda, Alan Jones, Bruno Giacomelli, Gerhard Berger, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli, Lewis Hamilton

Most US Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 8 - Lotus; 7 - Ferrari, McLaren; 2 - Cooper, BRM, Brabham, Tyrrell, Red Bull; 1 - Williams, Alfa Romeo, Toyota

Most US Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 11 - Ford; 7 - Ferrari; 5 - Climax; 3 - Honda; 2 - BRM, Mercedes, Renault; 1 - Repco, Alfa Romeo, Toyota

Number of US GP wins from pole: 16 from 35 (46 percent); one from two in Austin

Lowest US GP winning grid position: 10th (Bruce McLaren, Cooper/Climax, at Sebring in 1959)

Laps led in US Grands Prix (current field): 95 - Sebastian Vettel; 81 - Lewis Hamilton; 30 - Felipe Massa; 18 - Kimi Raikkonen; 15 - Jenson Button; 2 - Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean

Laps led in Austin (current field): 95 - Sebastian Vettel; 15 - Lewis Hamilton; 2 - Romain Grosjean

Most US GP podium places (current field): 2 - Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean

Number of American drivers to have started at least one Grand Prix: 38

Best F1 finish by an American driver: 1st (by five different drivers - Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Peter Revson, Richie Ginther)

Best finish by an American driver on US soil: 1st (Mario Andretti, in the USA West Grand Prix at Long Beach, 1977)

Percentage of 2014 season complete: 84 percent

Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 100

Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Mercedes - 8 consecutive front-row starts; Renault - 116 consecutive races in the points as an engine manufacturer; Daniel Ricciardo - 14 consecutive points finishes; Mercedes - 8 consecutive pole positions; Lewis Hamilton - 4 straight Grand Prix victories

Fascinating fact: Bruce McLaren, Jochen Rindt and Emerson Fittipaldi are among a number of well-known drivers to have claimed their breakthrough F1 wins in United States Grands Prix. Of the current grid, though eight different drivers have led at least one lap, only Lewis Hamilton (2007 and 2012) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) have triumphed on US soil.

Potential record breakers: After dominating in Russia, Mercedes have now scored nine one-two finishes this year. They need just one more over the remaining three races to tie McLaren's record from 1988, and two more to eclipse it.

Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it will be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.

(source: f1.com)

Ayrton Senna 1st Victory F1 1985 Portugal GP Full Race

I am posting this race again because the previous one was erased from YouTube. Ayrton Senna was phenomenal!

Ayrton Senna - The Right To Win

A great documentary!

Lotus and Grosjean close to completing 2015 deal

Lotus have revealed that they are near to reaching an agreement with Romain Grosjean that will see the Frenchman stay on as Pastor Maldonado’s team mate in 2015.

Grosjean, who has endured a frustrating 2014 campaign, finishing in the points on just two occasions, has spent his entire F1 career with the Enstone-based team, having made seven appearances for the then-Renault squad in 2009 before rejoining the team from the 2011 season onwards. 

“Romain is in pole position for (a 2015 seat) and honestly it’s a case of us finalising a few details,” confirmed deputy team principal Federico Gastaldi. “We expect to have an announcement very shortly.”

Regarding the timing of that announcement, Grosjean, who has scored all eight of Lotus’s world championship points in 2014, joked: “Maybe we think it’s fun to keep the media speculating! 

"Honestly, we’re very close to having something to announce but there’s no pressure on when we say something.”

Despite the fact that Lotus are poised to finish outside the top five in the constructors’ standings for the first time since 2009, Gastaldi is hopeful that the former world champions will enjoy a renaissance in 2015 thanks to a recently-announced switch from Renault to Mercedes power.

“That is the plan!” he said. “Obviously (switching to Mercedes) was something that was in the pipeline. Behind the scenes we realised it was time for a new direction and we are very happy we can finally confirm this publicly. 

“Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains have already made a positive impression and we believe that they will be a key ingredient for future success. 

"It has become obvious this year that they have the most competitive package on the engine side. Their strengths, allied to ours, will form a potent combination in 2015 and create a special E23 Hybrid package. The partnership also forms a key ingredient for the long-term future of Lotus F1 Team.”

(source: f1.com)

Fong, Nissany and Ocon complete Valencia test

Three up-and-coming drivers got the chance to experience F1 machinery in a two-day test in Valencia, Spain this week. Adderly Fong and Roy Nissany both sampled a two-year old Sauber, while Esteban Ocon was at the wheel of an identical-vintage Lotus.

Chinese driver Fong, 24, and Israeli Nissany, 19, got one day each in the Ferrari-powered Sauber C31 and both completed 99 laps of the 4.005-kilometre circuit.

“I am very happy that I had the opportunity to test the Sauber,” said Fong, who has competed in several single-seater championships in Asia and Europe, and this year is focusing on the Audi R8 LMS Cup, an Asia-based sprint race series. 

“I have achieved my objective to complete 300 km without making any mistakes and at a good speed. The car was fantastic to drive, it is a brilliant piece of machinery. With so much horsepower and high downforce, it is a difficult car to learn, but I was able to improve lap by lap. I really want to thank Sauber and Ferrai for providing me such a good package today. It was great being able to test the car at the track in Valencia, having started Formula Three testing here in 2009.”

Nissany, son of one-time Minardi tester Chanoch Nissany and currently competing in European F3, said of his F1 outing: “It was an amazing day. It was my first time driving a Formula One car, and it felt great. I was quite excited at the beginning, and I think I feel more experienced now.

“Going through the fast corners with this high amount of downforce and adapting my driving style to this car was not easy, but I managed to do everything well. I am very happy with today’s outcome, not just from my side, but also from the team’s side, as everyone works very professionally. I knew the track in Valencia, so I think that was a good advantage.”

Frenchman Ocon, meanwhile, earned his two-day session in Lotus’s E20 as reward for winning the FIA Formula Three Championship in his rookie season this year. The 18-year-old has been part of Lotus’s junior programme since 2010 and the F1 test formed part of his ongoing development with the team.

(source: f1.com)